Toxic
by MibuWolf
Summary: AU Set in Tokyo, a city overrun by sex, booze and drugs, courtesy of drug lord Takeda Kanryuu. Caught in this whirlpool of vice are bar brawler Sagara Sanosuke and a certain foxy bartender named Megumi.
1. Branded For Life

Chapter One: Branded For Life

Author's Note: I know, I know, one new fic after another when I said that I would update the un-updated still, I had this idea coming to me one fine day of stoning during classes and it was too good to let it go, for me at least. :D

Disclaimer: I didn't steal RK. Those money-faced OVA producers did.

…

-Branded For Life-

…

Two heavily armed men bore a young, pale woman by the name of Takani Megumi into a dinghy room at the back of a tattoo parlour and dumped her unceremoniously onto a black leather chair set parallel to the floor. Without speaking, they strapped her to the chair and left the room. The woman shivered both from fear and from the chilly air that permeated every part of the room; there was no central heating system installed.

It was only when a surgical glove touched the small of her back that she realized that she was not alone. She wondered what kind of punishment Kanryuu had in mind for her attempted deviation. Then to her horror, she remembered where she was in the first place, and came to the conclusion that the person in the same room was the resident tattoo artist and she was to be tattooed against her own will. Without a word, the tattoo artist imprinted the outline of the tattoo on the lower region of her spine.

"Don't touch me," she snapped, as the contact made her feel dirty all over, dirtier than the jobs that Kanryuu had assigned her. The tattoo artist paid no heed and made preparations for the process. Megumi contemplated hitting the bastard, she was sure that the force of her rage would be enough to land him in hospital, but she was also aware of the fact that struggling would be useless; she was bound to the chair and in no means to escape. There was nothing she could do but grit her teeth and bear with it.

The real hell began when the needle struck her snow white skin and sent shots of pain through her body. She forced herself to remain still even though she writhed in pain on the inside, and despised every minute the ink tainted another inch of her skin. She needn't bother speculating what kind of mark Kanryuu had ordered to be branded on her; all the cronies working under his dubious drug syndicate bore a black tattoo in the form of a spider. In a way, they were all small flies trapped in his web, stuck forever and never able to escape till the big spider descended on them and devoured them whole.

Finally, the torturous procedure came to an end. The tattoo artist kept his equipment, released her from her bondage and left her alone in the room. Megumi kept her head down to hide the hot tears that streamed down her pale cheeks. She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palms and drew drops of crimson blood. She was branded for life, she was one of Kanryuu's cronies that she had detested so deeply and vowed never to be a part of.

"Yare yare, you knew what would happen if you carried on with that little stunt of yours," the man himself spoke smugly as he strode into the room, wearing a navy blue business suit and a self satisfied smirk. He paused and let his gaze saunter up and down Megumi's bare back and rested on the spider tattoo, as if admiring the handiwork as his own.

"You bastard!" She spat out. "You think you can just play me like that?!"

Kanryuu's smirk faded as he hated any show of defiance from her subordinates, much less from a mere woman like her. He pressed the raw area marked by the tattooed-hard- and ignoring Megumi's cries of pain, said smoothly, "Be careful with your words, my little fox. You'd better toe the line now that you're one of mine, or- I don't know, but I think the spider mark would look just as good on your precious Zanza, wouldn't it? Right next to the one he already has. In fact, I think this place does offer.. couple packages for tattoos as well. What do you say?" At this point, he stopped applying the pressure. The skin around the region was now a fiery red, raw.

Megumi bit her tongue to keep from saying something she would regret later on. She could take all the punishment she needed for the crimes she had committed, albeit unwillingly under Kanryuu's command. But she could never let Kanryuu get his claws on those who weren't even responsible, those who had suffered because of her sins, or she would never forgive herself unless condemned to Hell. At first, she had tried to warn them, to get them out of the trap she had unwittingly fallen into, part of an attempt to protect those she knew, but she had failed, miserably.

"Please don't touch them. I'll do anything you want." She forced the words out of her mouth. Nothing made her more disgusted than having to submit to a power hungry demon like Kanryuu.

Kanryuu said nothing. Instead, he tossed a folded black tube dress onto the floor. "Put it on, or you'll freeze to death." He simply said, and walked out. It was not a sudden switch to compassion he had after carrying out that perverse act on her; it was simply the fear of having a dead body to deal with if he wasn't careful enough. The spider liked seeing his prey struggle in discomfort from being trapped, but wasn't open to the idea of any of them dying on her own web. He was a dirty, low-down man that way.

Megumi didn't pick it up immediately, but just lie on the chair and let the cold surround her like a shroud. What was the point when Kanryuu had just violated her that night? If only that "Zanza" had been there to stop him, but then again, after what she did would he even bother to protect her, or even give a thought to her? Probably not.

Kanryuu was a monster, but she was no different. Perhaps the whole cycle of events leading up till now could have been prevented if not for that meeting of chance that night, but who knew what kind of twists and turns fate had in store? And, like Kanryuu had done, fate toyed with her, and she had toyed with him.

Then she buried her face in her hands and cried, not for the first time in her life, and neither would it be her last. _Minna-san, gomen nasai.. _

…

She remembered that fateful night when she first met Zanza. She was a bar tender working at Toxique, the newest kid on the block in Tokyo's kaleidoscope of nightclubs where hardcore youths partied the night away without a care for the hangover that awaited them in the morning. Of course, it had been opened by none other than Kanryuu himself in an attempt to suck more money out of the capital city and she was deployed there. Nights passed in monotony until she spotted him that young man with a fiery temper and hair done up in gravity-defying spikes. The one with the infamous reputation of being thrown out of every single nightclub in Tokyo for getting into fights with arrogant asses who acted like they owned the place. After eyeing her from a distance for some time, her had come over and ordered a round of drinks for himself and his friends, and introduced himself as Sagara Sanosuke. He thought that he had found her, when in fact she had already done that a long time ago, the moment he stepped into Toxique.

Those intense ebony eyes that watched her like a hawk yet never made her feel stalked. The well-defined muscles showed off by the tank top he always wore. The tattoo depicting the word Aku, inked onto his back, just below his neck. He was unlike any man she had ever known, surpassing even the prowess of her ex fiancé. He liked her for being "the fox amongst the common hounds", the mystery behind her, and a secret she kept well outside her working hours at Toxique. The nights spent speeding around Tokyo after her shift was over, always ending up in a secluded spot outside the city area. Just sitting there like a normal couple, breathing in each other's scent. Her tracing his tattoo with her finger, him running his calloused palm through her thick hair which she chose to let down past her shoulders instead of styling and colouring it the way every other girl in Tokyo did.

She gave him the female companionship he lacked in his life; he gave her excitement and romance beyond what she had ever known. He courted her; she kept him on his toes. She knew that it would be a dangerous affair getting involved with him, as Kanryuu didn't let his subordinates have any relationship outside the syndicate for fear of having his secrets exposed to someone from the outside world. Yet she couldn't stop herself from wanting more and more of the man she called Sanosuke; Zanza to the other bartenders who were wary of his brawling tendencies.

He didn't just give her a relationship; he introduced her to his social circle in a bid to get her acquainted with more than his nightly existence. Megumi had blended in easily, feeling like she finally found something close to the substitute for the family she never knew. And then, with just a single command from Kanryuu, she had destroyed her utopia. He had come to know of her connection with Sanosuke and his gang, and ordered her to cut off the relationship. She refused, and he got his revenge by tricking her into drugging his best friend Tsunan, by mixing his drink with a brand of opium he had called Spider's Web. And as if that was not enough, he claimed for his own, by branding her with his own mark.

Megumi wanted to cry and scream like a damsel in distress at the unfairness of it all, but she knew she had brought this on herself. If she had managed to stay distant and not flirt with danger in the first place, she wouldn't be in this position. There was nothing she could do to amend her faults which had implicated others.

She contemplated the existence of a tattoo on her back, how ironic it was that she had previously wondered what it would be like to have one, though she would have preferred to have it on an area where she could see it. Now she had one in a place she couldn't see unless she twisted around in the most uncomfortable way, and like the mark would be there forever, the dark sins she had committed would follow her like a shadow twenty four hours a day.

She shouldn't have gotten involved with Sagara Sanosuke, but now the toxins of Kanryuu's drug operations and Spider Web had infected not only her but the ones who didn't deserve it. Like an ink drop in a basin of holy water, they had all been tainted in a cycle of cruelty and vice; they were all tainted for life.

…

Author's Note: wrote the original version over two days, but tore it to shreds when THIS came to mind. Whether or not this remains one shot or develops, it all depends on the muses and the reviews hint hint


	2. Last Man Standing

Author's Note: My muse must be in love with me 'cos here comes chapter two LOL

Author's Note: My muse must be in love with me 'cos here comes chapter two LOL! Anyways, this chapter looks into what Sanosuke thinks about the big mess between him, Megumi and Spider's Web. Exactly what Crewel said xD

WARNING: coarse language, please don't be reading this in front of the folks will ya? .

…

Chapter Two: Last Man Standing

…

Sagara Sanosuke raced up the steps, two at a go. He had just returned from his morning run around the district and was looking forward to a cold shower to wash away the sweat and cool off the heat he had gained from the run. He reached his apartment on the second storey and was about to open the door when a shrill female voice interrupted him.

"Well well well, if it isn't the baka rooster!" The speaker was his landlord slash landlady Kamatari, who had materialized next to him in a loose-fitting yukata. "Phew, you stink!"

"Yo, Kamatari. Good day for a run eh?" he greeted Kamatari with the maximum amount of politeness he could muster. Kamatari's eyes narrowed. Anyone who didn't know this person well enough would have said that he was just a perpetually premenstrual bitch. However, due to an unfortunate and embarrassing situation whose details neither of them wished to disclose, Sanosuke learned the hard way that "Miss" Kamatari was really a man with a fetish for cross-dressing, and was aspiring to realize his lifelong dream of undergoing a sex change operation. Of course, in order to fulfill this so-called childhood dream of his, Kamatari was relying on the rent that came in from his tenants. Kind of like a really big tick sucking blood from its victim.

"You haven't paid me this months' rent you baka tori atama!" Kamatari shrieked. For a man, he had a really high pitched voice which could drive dogs crazy. "Are you planning to eat me out of my own house?!"

"For your information you she-male, even if I do plan on eating you out of this house, you'll still have tons of other houses to get your dough from!" Sanosuke retorted. He opened the door in a hurried manner and escaped into the sanctuary of his –rented- apartment before Kamatari launched himself into the ultimate bitch fit. Normally, he would have been able to manage finances with his roommate around, but given the current circumstances, this was not possible.

Kamatari was gone by the time Sanosuke had showered and changed, and was preparing to leave the house. Probably gone off to suck blood from another tenant, he thought. A least he had managed to put off the issue of rent for now. Without another thought for the she-male, he left and went to catch the bus downtown.

Located on the outskirts of the central business district of Tokyo was the Metropolitan Police Station, which supposedly kept law and order in the city. This was a place that the Zanza preferred to avoid completely if he could help it. He remembered all too well the countless occasions he had been brought in for creating havoc by getting into street fights as a rebellious youth. Sagara Sanosuke had a record more colourful than the life history of a sailor.

He entered the main building and was immediately button-holed by one of the anal officers who were stationed there. "Well now, I was beginning to wonder if you were even going to show up." It was Saitou Hajime, a micro-eyed detective who acted like he perpetually had a stick up his arse, especially when dealing with people like Sanosuke.

"Watch it you government dog." He retorted. It was just his luck to be living next door to Japan's most anal cop. Not that he ever got involved in any of those illicit activities anyway, but he still hated the idea of "Big Brother Is Watching You".

Saitou smirked in response to Sanosuke's amateur attempt at an insult. Sarcasm was the lowest form of an insult, yet the idiot clearly had problems grasping it. But he couldn't be bothered with small fry like that Zanza; it was the big fish that he was after. "Your friend is waiting in Room 41A. Cho, escort him. And no nonsense or you'll know what's coming for you." He barked.

Sanosuke snorted and followed the blonde officer down the narrow corridor. Cho led him to room 41A and gestured for him to go in. He pushed open the door and saw his friend Tsunan sitting behind a white table. "Tsunan!" He sat down opposite him. Cho followed him into the room and stood at a corner far enough to give them privacy, but close enough to pick up any suspicious conversation between the two.

Although Tsunan was trying to put up a brave front, eleven years together with him had given Sanosuke enough insight to see that he had seen better days. His face was slightly sunken from the stress of being held in detention; eye bags were a tell-tale sign that he had been kept awake at night and his hair no longer retained its glossy texture without the copious amounts of gels he used.

"Hey you." Tsunan grinned. "Kamatari being a bitch again?"

Sanosuke laughed drily. "I don't know how you could still be joking about Kamatari when you're in deep shit," he told him honestly. "Those government dogs better be treating you right or I'm gonna give them a lesson in manners!"

"Shh, those dogs are here. Anyway, did you see Megumi again after that night?" Tsunan was silenced when the Zanza returned his question with a hard stare. With that intense gaze he had right now, he could very well shooting daggers with his eyes.

"Not a word about that.. that vixen. She played us all and bailed out when the fun was over." He growled. His grip was so tight that his knuckles became white. "And I don't wanna see her again unless it's with her behind bars. I don't give a damn about her anymore!"

"Sanosuke, please calm down." Urged Tsunan. "They'll hear." He gestured at Cho and another officer who was standing guard in the room.

"So what, I don't give a fuck! You want dogs outside our front door, we got one lapping up their shit for them! Those pigs don't know slop when they see it. It's that Takani woman who should be behind bars, not you!!" Sanosuke spat the words out like they left a bad taste on his mouth. A really bad taste. "Just because they never found her they had to get the person who drank up all those lies!"

"Aight mister, visiting's hour." Cho came in the middle of the Zanza's outburst. "Let's be gettin' ya outta here before ya make a mess outta this place."

"Fuck you! Quit spewing your trash on me you broom head!" Sanosuke cursed the officer. To hell with them all, this wasn't justice; this was closing one eye on those who really deserved the punishment. And the one who deserved it was Takani Megumi, the woman who betrayed him.

"Sir I have to insist-"

"What's going on here?" Saitou asked as he came upon the scene. Not wanting to be caught doing something under the wolfish detective's eye, Sanosuke simply shrugged Cho off and stalked out of the police station. As he was walking out, he looked back over his shoulder and called out." Tsunan! I know you're innocent, I won't let them get you. I swear I'll find the bastard who got us into this shit!"

Once he was sure he was out of the watch of Saitou Hajime and his crony Cho, Sanosuke spat on the ground outside the police station with all the venom he could muster. Then he walked away from the place. As he ventured further and further away, he managed to cool down his temper and let his thoughts wander back to that night when those pigs got their hands on his best friend.

And the night when he found out the ugly truth beneath the sensuously disguised lies.

_The taxi pulled up in front of the Metropolitan Police Station in Tokyo. Sanosuke got out of the car without paying for the fare, while Megumi remained and quickly handed the irate driver the money. He didn't wait for her, but instead ran in. _

_They had been idling the night away in their apartment, he, Megumi, Kaoru and Kenshin. The gang had planned on spending the night on a movie marathon snuggled up with their partners. Tsunan had politely declined the offer to join them, saying that he had to rush in an article for a magazine the next day. They were just settling into the first half hour of the movie marathon when someone knocked rudely on the door. Thinking it was Kamatari coming to badger them on their monthly rent, Sanosuke went to open the door, only to find several police officers including Saitou standing there. They produced an arrest warrant for Tsunan and without waiting to be invited, rushed in and grabbed Tsunan from his room. Shocked, Sanosuke had trailed them in a taxi he hailed shortly after with Megumi hot on his trail. _

"_Where's Tsunan?" Sanosuke confronted a stony faced Saitou. "What the hell are you doing dragging him to this shit hole for?!"_

"_Ahou. For your information, we didn't drag him. We fetched him here in a nice golden carriage because we found traces of opium in his urine sample. Satisfied?"_

"_What urine sample are you talking about?!"_

_Saitou didn't answer just blew out a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "Che, if you must know, an anonymous informant dropped a vial of that disgusting liquid on my desk this afternoon. We sent it for checking and found the DNA belonging to your little friend here." He flicked the cigarette butt onto the ash try and continued, "Apparently he had a very good time trying out the new Fox Spirit alcohol last night..oh, that's the new drink that your girlfriend was promoting wasn't she?"_

"_What the hell are you talking about?" _

"_Che. If you didn't figure it out by now, I've got a job to do, so get lost." Saitou smirked and walked off, paying no attention to the Zanza. _

_Sanosuke was confused. Then everything clicked and he got the whole thing figured out: the late-night partying at Toxique last night. The new vodka cocktail that Megumi proudly promoted as the Fox Spirit. By the time she had concocted one, the rest were already wasted and only Tsunan was in a state to fit in one more drink. He had drunk it down without a second thought. He didn't give it much thought until tonight. Megumi was the one who had mixed the opium into the drink and served it to the unsuspecting Tsunan. And then somehow got hold of his urine sample and sent it to Saitou. But, why?_

_Without a word, he stormed out and spotted Megumi standing alone in the cold. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted accusations at her. What was she thinking, why did she do this, why did she lie to him? Then she was shouting back at him. It was more than a lovers' quarrel; it was a full outbreak of fighting between two lovers who were as good as strangers to each other now. _

"_What were you even thinking that night? Was it the opium that was telling you what to do? Did you even think of what would happen?" Sanosuke yelled. _

"_I don't know!" Megumi yelled back, tears streaming down her beautiful face._

"_You don't know? That's something! Tsunan's in jail because of you you bitch!" The word was out before he knew it was on the tip of his tongue. _

_Megumi's face turned white. "So that's what you think of me? Fine." She turned and started to walk away, before breaking into a run and disappearing around the corner. _

"_No, wait, baby, I didn't mean it." Sanosuke groaned. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut in times like these? He ran after her, but when he turned round the corner, she was gone. Out of the darkness came a black van speeding toward him. He yelped and quickly got out of the way before it ran over him. _

_He never saw Megumi again after that night. _

Sanosuke took out his cell phone and checked it, even though he could anticipate what it was going to say. YOU HAVE ZERO MESSAGES. He sighed and browsed through his inbox. Most of the messages there were from Megumi, or "Kitsune-onna" as he had keyed into his phone book. They ranged from the trivial to the downright lovey-dovey as they kept each other from passing out from boredom at their day jobs. Despite feeling anger and betrayal at her lies, he couldn't bring himself to erase those messages. He hated her for doing that, yes, yet he couldn't bring himself to say that he hated the person itself. To erase the messages was like erasing her from his life forever, but somehow, he didn't want that. There was still some emotional attachment he had with this woman, something that made him want to cling on to their brief affair and all that they ever shared. Some day, when he found the courage to move on, he would clear his inbox and be rid of the liar named Megumi.

But for now, he had to clear the issue at hand and that was to prove Tsunan's innocence. Later that afternoon he would scout around for information with the help of his friends. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the nearest ramen shop for some breakfast. He had not eaten yet and he was starving.

…

Author's Note: AHHH that was short, but I wanted to update this very badly. Chapter three should involve a deeper look into what happened before the whole fiasco, I hope. xD please review, arigatou!


	3. Trail of a Fox

Author's Note: It's Megumi's POV this time

Author's Note: It's Megumi's POV this time! Yea it looks like it's going to be rotating between the two, so the probability of one of them getting the limelight in the final chapter is.. half? Okay my stats tutorials are really starting to get to me xD

…

Chapter Three: Trail of a Fox

…

Megumi was having a nightmare again, as she had for the past three nights since her harrowing experience in the tattoo parlour. And as all nightmares, everything in her vision was a blurry one, except for a few faces that stood out from the blur.

In her nightmare, she was standing behind the bar counter in the upbeat club Toxique, surrounded by dances grinding their hips to the anthem of their favourite D.J.s, oblivious to the fact that they were unwittingly being used as guinea pigs for the Spider Web opium. Then Kanryuu appeared out of the blue, in his trademark business suit and silver-rimmed spectacles which had a disconcerting way of making his eyes look like blank discs under the reflection of the club's lights.

"Give it to them little fox," he ordered her, lips curling into a sinister smile.

"No!" Megumi protested. She would not be a part of his evil plan to intoxicate his patrons with the deadly drug. But even as her mouth said no, her body was doing to opposite, going against her will. They reached out for the Ziploc packet of crystal like powder, branded with Kanryuu's spider logo. She tipped the contents of the packet into tequila shots already set out on the counter. The crowd of people who had just been dancing swarmed to her like bees to honey, snatching up the poisoned tequila shots.

A loud, wailing police siren cut through the techno beats like a scream echoing in the night. The crowd scattered, and in front of her stood Sanosuke. "Sano..I.."

He didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, just pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You did this you cunning fox. I'm never going to let you go. Never." He said in a hard voice that pierced through Megumi's heart like a lance.

"No, Sano, please, I can explain.." She started to speak, but the vision of him and Toxique melted away to form a large, black spider. Kanryuu's voice echoed loudly in her mind, " You're nothing but a mere fly in my web, Takani Megumi."

The nightmare came to an end and she woke up abruptly. Beads of sweat rolled down her skin even though her room was air-conditioned at the lowest temperature possible. She threw her plush flower-printed blanket off her and sat up straight on her bed. Damn it, she cursed in a way that would have impressed Sanosuke; unlike her boyfriend, vulgarities rarely found their way into her daily vocabulary. The tension in her head was developing into a migraine. She started to reach for the tablet she kept in her nightstand, but found that someone had already done that, along with placing a tall glass of water to aid in the consumption. Megumi swallowed and took the pill. It was just like Kanryuu to pervade every part of her life now that she was his; she suspected that he had installed hidden cameras in her room just to monitor her behaviour. And after finding out about her regular migraines, he had actually employed someone to provide her with whatever remedies she needed. What irony..what hypocrisy.

_I suppose he wants something more for me_, she thought, and sighed. Kanryuu never gave handouts unless he expected something in returned. She had learned it the hard way when she took a job as a bartender and was forced to abide by the stringent rules and regulations that came with the job. And there was always that _thing_ to remind her.

A small, electric blue pager beeped, and Megumi abandoned her thoughts and took a look at it (Kanryuu had her cell phone confiscated and destroyed shortly after the branding session). It was Aoshi calling her to Warehouse A, one of the many sites that Kanryuu owned in his manufacturing of the Spider Web opium. She dropped the thing into a Juicy purse hanging by the door and went to get ready.

_How can I ever get myself out of this tangled mess? I wish Sano were here with me. I miss sending those frivolous messages to him with my phone. I miss my freedom. I miss my innocence._

…

"Konnichiwa, Takani-san." Aoshi greeted her as the she got out of the car that had been dispatched by him to fetch her to the aforementioned place. Megumi ignored him and slammed the door shut behind her. This was the ex-finace that Sanosuke had managed to surpass after strings of unsatisfactory flings with other men. At first, Megumi had been drawn to the introverted man, thinking that she could pry his deepest secret out of him. Perhaps it was out of loneliness from having no social circle outside Kanryuu's syndicate, that they had been drawn to each other in the first place. Or the physical attraction they had for each other, so similar was their features. Though Aoshi was equated to a stone statue by many of Kanryuu's cronies, Megumi still preferred him to Kanryuu. Her only wish was that he could have opened up to her more. And then one day, her first love betrayed her by stating very clearly that Kanryuu was his master and that there was nothing a mere woman like her could do to make him switch allegiance. Consumed with fury and betrayal, Megumi broke off their engagement and never gave a thought to what could have been. Meanwhile, Aoshi just acted like nothing romantic had ever happened between them. His referring to her by her last name was proof of that.

"My apologies for calling you at this time. Kanryuu expressed urgency in getting you here." He explained and led her into Warehouse A. Wordlessly, Megumi followed behind him. Inside the warehouse were stacks of boxes on every side. She wondered what money-making venture Kanryuu was heading into this time, and what it had to do with her in the first place.

"Ah Megumi, there you are! So glad that you could make it at this time." Kanryuu greeted her cheerfully.

"What did you call me out for, to admire your phallic symbols of your heaps of money?" Megumi shot back. She was not in the mood for his cheeriness, not after what he had done to her.

If that last remark stung, Kanryuu made no indication of it. Instead, he turned and gestured to the crane that was loading the boxes into the warehouse. "Remember the powder that you mixed into Tsunan's Fox Spirit drink that night, Megumi?"

"What about it?"

"Well, we developed a new capsule that can help mask the giveaway signs that always show up in drug tests. You know, breathing tests, urine samples.." He cast a meaningful look at her. "The like. We've already begun circulating the drug amongst various hot spots in Tokyo, and my god, they're flocking to it like flies. But what happens when one of those nosy pigs calls them up for a drug test? You and I know there's no escaping from jail once they're caught, like our friend Tsunan. But this capsule will tone down the effects of the drug temporarily so they won't get caught for it. Can you imagine what this can do for us Megumi? We're practically monopolizing the drug trade here! We're bound to make millions out of this!"

Megumi shot him a venomous look of disgust. If this was what he had called her out for, to gloat in his success and make her stomach turn as she was forced to bask in his reflected glory. Well, she wasn't going to be his bitch like someone obviously was and come over with her tail between her legs.

Kanryuu smirked and walked away. The so-called meeting was over. He had obviously gotten what he wanted out of giving Megumi the latest update of what was going on with Spider Web. Fuming, Megumi muttered, "I'm going to the ladies" and stalked off without waiting or Aoshi's permission. It turned out that the warehouse didn't have a ladies room as she had hoped, just a unisex bathroom. She went in and bumped into one of the workers unloading the stock of Spider Web.

"Oof! Sorry 'bout that lassie," he said with a strong cockney accent. Megumi was about to brush him off when she was hit with a flash of inspiration.

"Anou.. do you mind lending me your phone for a while? It's just that I left mine in the car." The worker obliged and she quickly punched in the numbers 999.

"Konnichiwa, this is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hotline."

"I'm Takani Megumi and I'm calling to report the illegal manufacturing and distribution of drugs by Takeda Kanryuu. You arrested a man named Tsunan after consuming the Fox Spirit drink at Toxique; that's where he plans to distribute it. He's also in the midst of developing a new type of capsule that will mask the effects of the opium so it'll be harder to catch abusers. He's keeping the stock at-"

Someone reached out and grabbed the phone from her. Shocked and caught off guard, Megumi looked only to find that she was staring into icy blue eyes that could have belonged to one person- Shinomori Aoshi.

"What are you trying to do, Takani-san?" He questioned her coldly. The phone slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. Being a cheap model, the flimsy thing broke into two parts. But neither of them took notice of them. Each of them continued staring into each other's eyes, light cinnamon clashing with an intense azure, neither giving in.

On the other line, the same officer who had escorted Sanosuke out of the police station held on to the phone, perplexed at having the young woman's confession being cut off so abruptly. "Moshi moshi? Moshi moshi?"

"Let it go, Cho. It was probably just some prank caller trying to waste our time." Saitou drawled, mildly amused at his partner's confusion.

"Saitou sir, I don't think it was so prank call."

….

Author's Note: … and we leave off with a cliffhanger. I know it's short, but I'll make up with an update soon, promise! Ja ne, for now!


	4. Caught in a Spider's Web

Author's Note: ELLO

Author's Note: ELLO! I bring thee chapter four. More twists and turns to be expected in the following chapters so I suggest you READ VERY CLOSELY. Have fun! :D

…

Chapter Four: Caught in a spider's web

…

Slightly exasperated at Cho's apparent fuss over what he deemed as just another prank call, Saitou walked over and pressed the playback button to listen to the recorded conversation.

"Kuso." He cursed when he realized that his partner was right. A mere prank caller would not be in possession of an insider's information. "Trace the call and try to obtain a GPS location on her." He barked out the order. Cho practically jumped out of his chair and ran to do what he was told.

"I can't find it. That phone didn't have any GPS installed." Cho reported.

Saitou swore. "Report he matter to the chief inspector immediately." He snapped. Trust that Takani woman to be using one of those lousy, prehistoric phones. It would make tracking down Kanryuu's activities and cracking down on his Spider Web syndicate twice as difficult, unless he could resort to unconventional means which, considering his position in the legal system was not allowed.

He calculated the odds and quickly whipped out his cell phone from his pocket. He would have to make a call to one of his many contacts outside the police force and he didn't want to run the risk of having his conversation tapped into be a nosy zealot if he used the phone on his desk.

"Moshi moshi? Ah yes. I'm afraid I have to trouble you for assistance regarding certain Spider Web opium…"

…

"Anou, are you sure you want to do this?" Kenshin asked as Kaoru drove her car into the underground parking lot of a skyscraper in Tokyo's central business district.

"Yeah, hiring a P.I. would burn a hole in your pocket, not to mention that you already owe Tae a week's worth of ramen." Added Kaoru, half-hoping that Sanosuke would take the hint about the tab he had accumulated at the Akabeko, which she co-owned with her friend.

Sanosuke rubbed his neck. He hated having to live off his friends like this. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get to that. But I'm gonna need all the help I can get if I wanna clear Tsunan's name, especially when those pigs are so sure of themselves." He explained.

Kaoru sighed. "I just don't see how someone could be helping you when his fee is such a rip off." She commented. Even though she didn't say the words out loud, everyone in the car knew that she didn't like how their short-lived romance ended like that. Nothing more was said as she carefully maneuvered her car into a vacant space in the parking lot. The two mean got out of the car while Kaoru remained in the driver's seat.

"You two go ahead, I'll wait here." She told them as she leaned back in her seat, a thick romance novel in her hand.

"Uh, why would you want to sit in there breathing in all that carbon monoxide?" Sanosuke asked, thinking about his high school acquaintance that nearly died after falling asleep in his car and breathing in too much of the poisonous gas.

"Nah, she just wants to make sure that no one gets near enough to scratch the paint job." Kenshin explained.

"…Right." Sanosuke tried not to scoff at his friend's paranoia.

Kaoru glared at him. "When you get a car that takes away about a lifetime of income and eats you out of your house with its petrol, you'd want to guard it with all your life!" She retorted. Sensing that she was about to launch into a tirade, the two men quickly escaped into the safety of the waiting elevator. Kenshin was too scared of getting his head knocked by Kaoru's novel to point out that he had paid for half the bill.

In no time, the elevator took them up to the level they were headed to. They stepped out and walked down the empty corridor until they came to a dead end. There, they spotted a glass door with the words "Seta Private Eye Company" imprinted on it in Copperplate font.

"Konnichiwa, how may I help you gentlemen?" a bubbly, petite girl with her hair tied in a brain greeted them.

"Uh, hi. I have an appointment with Seta Soujirou." Sanosuke told her.

"Oh! Right this way." Smiling, she led them past the outer office where a handful of private investigators were sorting through piles of evidence and making phone calls. There was another room within the premises, probably a private spot for Sojirou. She opened the opaque metal door and gestured for them to come in. Sanosuke obliged and was slightly taken aback when he saw Soujirou for the first time. Instead of those shadowy, sleek figures he had seen in his favourite detective movies, Soujirou looked more like a school boy who was spending his after school hours at his uncle's workplace.

"Anou, aren't you looking a little young to be running your own company?" Kenshin asked.

Soujirou laughed. "Yare yare, I get that all the time. I just look younger than my real age. Runs in my family." He pointed out, youthful eyes lighting up.

Kenshin nodded and shot his friend an "I guess we can trust this guy" look. "Please, have a seat." Soujirou offered, indicating two red chairs set in front of his desk. "Now, what's this thing that you need looking into?"

Sanosuke nodded and handed an envelope to Soujirou. "My friend was arrested for drug consumption, though I know for sure that someone tricked him into doing it. I've a hunch that my girl- I mean, this bartender at the nightclub we went to, was behind this. Her name is Takani Megumi and she works at Toxique in downtown Tokyo. I need you to prove that she's the guilty one and not my friend, think you can do that?"

Soujirou browsed through the contents of the envelope. In it were photographs of Megumi as well as Toxique, along with a typewritten account of the couple's last meeting. He skimmed through the document before speaking. "Given the nature of this case, it's going to be a bit tricky tracing her whereabouts. As for the issue about your friend in detention, that's under the scope of the police.."

"Che, they don't even have the slightest clue that they got the wrong person." Sanosuke cut in.

"Ah, sou ka. I'll handle this case personally then." Soujirou said, keeping the photographs and the document in the envelope. "You're going to have to pay quite a high sum if you'll hire me on, though.."

The Zanza sighed. It was like the world was made for people with money seeking to crush those who, like him, had not much money. He was thinking of trying his luck at a bank loan when Kenshin spoke up, "You can settle the bill with me."

"That's fine with me." Soujirou smiled, looking more childlike than ever. "I'll look into it and get back to you in about a week or so." He shook hands with the both of them. "My secretary will show you the way out."

"Gee, thanks a lot, Kenshin," Sanosuke said as they left. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"It's all right!" The redhead waved away his friend's gratitude. "I can always earn back that money. What matters most is that we get Tsunan out of this mess. Just don't tell Kaoru about this-"

"Tell me about what?" Kaoru asked, causing them to jump out of their skin. She had appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh, hey Jou-chan! Erm it's nothing much actually…" Sanosuke tried to cover it up, but one look at Kenshin's expression gave them away.

"Sano you baka! Are you trying to live off my boyfriend now?!" Kaoru yelled. She aimed her novel at his head, but it narrowly missed the Zanza's spiky hair and landed squarely on Kenshin's forehead instead.

Oro!"

…

Back in his office, Seta Soujirou looked through the materials for his latest assignment. Takani Megumi looked nothing like the typical trashy drug peddlers he had dealt with in the earlier days of his career. Foxy, yes, but otherwise there was nothing about her appearance that suggested her having anything to do with drugs. But then again, looks were deceiving.

He lowered himself onto his chair and adopted his favourite thinking position: evidence in one hand, face cupped by the other. He had had two requests to investigate this girl already. Things were just about to get interesting.

…

Author's Note: ooo so who was that other person who requested investigating about Megumi? I'll leave it to you to think about that. Whoot! Next chapter: Megumi escapes and hatches a plan to bring down Kanryuu and his syndicate. More plot up ahead. You have been warned.


	5. Striking a Deal with the Wolf

Chapter 5: Striking a Deal with the Wolf

Chapter 5: Striking a Deal with the Wolf

…

Megumi froze in Aoshi's grasp. Then she said coldly, "What does it look like to you?"

"Kanryuu will kill you." Aoshi answered with equal coldness.

Megumi regarded her captor with scorn. "What differences does it make to you?" Her rhetorical question caused some distraction in Aoshi and he loosened his hold on her. She took advantage of the situation to elbow him in the ribs and break free from his grasp. He watched Megumi gain a few steps head start before giving chase. She ran out of the warehouse and disappeared into the adjacent car park. He followed suit and cast a quick look around him, trying to gauge the direction in which she had fled.

VROOM! The sound of a motorbike speeding past him, followed by an irate man running after it and letting loose a string of swear words from his mouth gave him the answer. Aoshi quickly ran up to a car, pushed the drier out amid more cursing and drove after her. He kept a watch on her retreating figure before picking up the phone and speed dialing a group of contacts labeled "Oniwabanshu". His call was picked up within the first ring.

"Hyottoko, get the others nearest to Warehouse A. The Fox got away."

…

Megumi hopped off the motorbike and dumped it on the sidewalk before dashing into the nearby shopping mall, heedless of the disapproving stares from onlookers. She needed to find a hiding place; Aoshi was too good for her to just blend into a crowd of shoppers or to spend the next hour or so in a cubicle in the ladies. Without a thought for what she was doing, she ran into one of the shops and ducked behind the counter.

"Excuse me, that area is off-limits to non-staff members." The speaker was a sandy-haired woman wearing a lime-green apron and a frown.

"I'm hiding from my ex-husband." Megumi lied, using the first excuse that came to mind.

The shop attendant looked over and raised an eyebrow. "So many of them?" She asked.

_Shit, he must have called for backup_. "In-laws." She improvised. The other woman nodded and went back to her work. Megumi took a look at her surroundings and realized she was in a flower shop; colourful bouquets adorned the shelves.

"Coast is clear."

"Have they left the building?"

"No, but they went to the higher levels to check. Your ex-husband must want you back very badly." The shop attendant commented.

"You have no idea. Listen-" Megumi took a quick glance at her name tag. "Tokio, I need a place to stay for the night, and my bank account and credit cards are frozen. Could you help me out?"

"Sure." Tokio agreed without hesitation. Megumi proceeded to assist her with the customers until closing time. Meanwhile, she found out that Tokio lived two blocks away from where she worked, and knew someone from the police force who might be able to help sort out her predicament.

Megumi pondered the irony of it all: Tokio was under the assumption that she needed help from the authorities to get away from her alleged ex; when she was certain she was going to be arrested the second this officer friend of hers knew who she was. Not like that wasn't going to happen anyway, and she wanted to clear Tsunan's name just as badly as Sanosuke.

Tokio's apartment was done up in a way one would call contemporary and minimalist, but not to the point where it was Spartan. Tokio invited her to sit on the white leather sofa while she called her friend.

"He's on his way now," she said. "He says he's dealt with plenty of cases like yours at the station, so don't worry."

Megumi nodded. "Thank you." She kept her gaze down and focused on the pattern on the carpet.

"May I ask.. why did you leave him?" Tokio inquired as she lowered herself onto the sofa next to her.

"It's a long story..bottom line is, he betrayed me and I met someone else. Now that I've decided to move on, he won't let me go." Megumi explained. It was true, in a way.

Tokio didn't say anything, didn't chastise her for walking out of her supposed "marriage" or show sympathy for her situation. Instead, she just sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. "I used to fight with him when he kept running off to work on different cases that popped up at the station, but now I just live with it and see him whenever I can. We've got to compromise, you know."

_That woman is really something_, Megumi mused. They had managed to tide over the rocky periods of their relationship, while one fight with Sanosuke was all it took to end their romance.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Tokio went to open it and- "Saitou!" Megumi gasped in surprise. Was this the work of fate, or was it just pure coincidence that she was to turn herself in to the very man living next door to Sanosuke?

"Um, you two know each other?" Tokio asked, her gaze shifting from Saitou to Megumi.

Saitou smirked. "Her boyfriend's the reason behind the racket that keeps me up all night, or is he still your boyfriend?" His eyes narrowed.

"Jime.."

"I'll deal with this, Tokio. Take a walk downstairs." He said, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. Megumi tried not to pass out from shock. _Tokio's not just something, she's got to be a real Buddha to be attached to someone like him_, she mused inwardly. Tokio cast a long look at her before stepping out of her house. Saitou closed the door behind him and turned to face the black-haired woman. "You really gave us a field day with that call you made this morning. Had that rookie partner of mine thinking he had a real bust after weeks of getting prank calls." He commented.

"Get to the point Saitou."

Saitou's lips curled into a slight smirk. "I've been trying to crack down on Kanryuu ever since I found something shady about his character and involvement in the drug syndicate, but that man was just too crafty for me to gather enough evidence to warrant an arrest. Your mentioning of Toxique did help to narrow down the search and we managed to bus the holding area of the Spider Web opium."

"And Kanryuu?"

Saitou looked like he was read to spit on the carpet at the mention of his name, but refrained from doing so when he remembered where he was. "He got away. Those cronies of his must be quite loyal o him, well, most of them anyway."

"They're just scared of him." Megumi pointed out. "Kanryuu likes things done right."

Saitou looked at her sharply. "What about you?" He asked.

She looked him straight in the eye before replying. "I'll take my chances."

"Heh, I can see why you and that ahou are perfect for each other-"

"Is Tsunan still in detention?" Megumi cut in. She was in no mood to hear him gloating over what had happened between her and Sanosuke. Her question was answered with silence.

"Saitou, please leave him out of this. He shouldn't have anything to do with dirty. If there's anyone who should pay, it's me."

The detective paced up and down the living room. "So you'll let Kanyuu go free?" He asked her.

Megumi looked down at her fists which she had clenched hard enough for the knuckles to turn milky white. When she met his gaze again, the intensity of her glare was hard enough to cut through glass. However, Saitou remained undaunted and simply asked. "Well?"

"Not if I had the chance."

An atmosphere of silence fell on them again. Satiou walked out of the living room and into the balcony where he lit up a cigarette and stood there smoking for what seemed like forever.

"You're taking your time."

Saitou took a long drag from his cigarette before snubbing it out. "Under normal circumstances, I would have you thrown behind bars for your part in this syndicate, but that would only hamper my investigations. Obtaining information from an insider without all that red tape bullshit would make it easier. What do you say you help me nab Kanryuu, and Tsunan goes free?"

"You'd do that?"

"First thing in the morning."

"Deal."

Saitou nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You can start work tomorrow. Now, where's Tokio?" He said.

Tokio was either psychic or must have been listening at the door, for she walked into the apartment just as Saitou finished his sentence. He went over to her and explained the situation while Megumi watched to gauge her reaction. If she was shocked at the truth, she showed no sign of it, only slight hesitation that was quickly pushed aside when Saitou mentioned about her bunking for the time being.

After Saitou left, Tokio quietly showed Megumi where she would be bunking; a small, windowless spare room in which a singular futon and a chest of drawers was placed. As Megumi prepared to turn in for the night, she couldn't help thinking that she had somehow fallen into the same predicament, but in a different context. Kanryuu had watched her like a hawk until the last moment when she managed to get away. Saitou and Tokio were offering her protection and a place to stay for the time being, but she was sure that was only because she could be the trump card in bringing down the Spider Web syndicate. When he found no more use for her, she would most likely be brought to court, along with Kanryuu.

_Well, now's not the time to think about it,_ she thought resignedly. The only thing she got out of this was having Tsunan's name cleared. How Sanosuke and everyone else could ever forgive her was another issue altogether.

…

Author's Note: chapter 5 there you go.. sorry it took so long but I've been really busy with school and all (my mid years are coming up) and haven't had much time to upload and update my fics so..be patient will ya? And keep reading and telling me what you think!


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